Booked my flight to Australia a couple weeks ago and have been working non stop since . Figured I would find the time to start babbling about this trip and maybe get some info out there to help you help me if you’re someone living in either Australia or New Zealand and you’re reading this . The flight I booked has me landing in Sydney on Dec. 30th which is just in time for New Years Eve which I plan on spending with Kathleen in Sydney harbour . We are looking at booking a table and having dinner and drinks while we watch some fireworks . It won’t be cheap but who cares , you only live once . That’s really why I’m working like a dog as of late . Of course after that I will need to find ice time ! At the moment I have a fellow goalie trying to help me out named Justin Harrison and I’m really hoping to nail down dates so I can plan everything else around my ice times . Justin has also put me in contact with the Melbourne Nite Owls who are looking to help me out . Two ice times a week will do me well and I’m spending one week in every city I visit any more and I think Kathleen will be a bit upset .
I promised to spend time doing things and not rushing around so much on this trip which enticed her to join me .... usually I would spend 3 days in a city and then hit the road and things would be hectic with ice times and events occurring almost simultaneously but this time it’s gonna be more spread out and that’s why this whole trip will be a 7 week adventure . I have a bunch of flights yet to book and it’s a good thing I have a bundle of Aeroplan points to use to make this trip a bit cheaper . Oh yeah I used 90,000 points and $226 to cover my flight into Sydney and my flight home from Adelaide which is where I will end my trip . After Sydney we plan to fly to Dunedin then to Auckland then to Perth then Melbourne and after Melbourne Kathleen will fly home and I will fly to Adelaide for a tournament :)
It’s best that Kathleen isn’t around while I’m at a tournament ! We’ve tried it before and the idea of me leaving the rink to do things during a tournament just doesn’t work . I rather hang around and socialize and have a few pints with my team mates which as of now I’m not sure who they are or what team I’m playing for but the tournament organizer Glenn Foll has told me he has a team for me so Adelaide is sorted but I still have a ton of organizing to do .
Flight to Sydney is booked and we booked a room to stay at a hostel which is quite fancy . Check out YHA if you are going to Australia . Our room is private with private bathroom and since it’s over New Years it is not cheap .... it ran me for around $1300 CDN for 8 nights but it’s in the heart of Sydney and not far from anything we are planning . Here is a link YHA hostel .
Next thing to book which I’m probably gonna do tomorrow is our flights to New Zealand .... I’ve been pondering whether to fly to Auckland or Dunedin first and I’m pretty sure I’m gonna take the dive and go for Dunedin . I’m looking for ice time there and I have contacts that are helping me .... when I started planning this all I had a contact with one of their IIHF members but he recently left them and is moving away so that threw a bit of a wrench in my plans but I’m still positive that I will get ice time there . Now here’s the thing ..... playing hockey on this continent will mean I have played on all inhabited continents .... I am almost sure I will be the first goalie to ever do this and I will be joining my buddy Andi Tanzer who is the first player that I know of that his reached this feat . The big question is if I get on the ice in Sydney will it be my lucky number 39 and if I don’t get on the ice there will New Zealand be the 39th country I’ve played in ? Regardless I plan on coming home and adding my 40th flag to my stick bag !
So if you’re in Sydney , Dunedin , Auckland , Melbourne or Perth and you’re reading this ..... please hook me up with some ice times ! I have a lot of planning to do in the next 4 months and I can use all the help I can get .
Last but not least I wanted to thank my sponsor Goalie Heaven for hooking me up with all my gear . If you ever need anything contact them and they will do their best to make sure you get what you’re looking for ! The picture at the top of the page was taken yesterday when I picked up my new set for my club team here . Gotta break these puppies in :)
